Europe's GDPR Has a Beef With Tech Giants

Some of the biggest internet companies are not on board with Europe's new rules to protect personal data.

The General Data Protection Regulation, which regulates processing of personal data, applies to companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon. According to reports, however, the tech giants have not complied with GDPR standards.

Regulators are questioning why. But when Facebook alone has five times more users than the population of the entire EU, is there really a question?

"Problematic Permissions"

BEUC, which represents consumer organizations in 32 European countries, says that 14 of the largest internet companies use unclear language for users to understand how the companies use their data. The group analyzed the companies' privacy policies and flagged lines that were vague or overreaching when getting users to consent.

"A little over a month after the GDPR became applicable, many privacy policies may not meet the standard of the law," said Director General Monique Goyens. "This is very concerning."